BICOM

Turkey’s President has signed the legislation necessary to bring into effect the country’s reconciliation agreement with Israel.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave the bill his assent yesterday, paving the way to an exchange of ambassadors, which is expected soon. The reconciliation agreement has already been approved by Turkey’s parliament and Israel’s security cabinet.

The text specifies that Israel will pay Turkey around £15m in compensation within 25 days, while any legal case against Israeli individuals involved in the Mavi Marmara incident which sparked the cessation of diplomatic ties, will be dropped by Turkey.

In 2010, the previously warm relationship between Israel and Turkey deteriorated and diplomatic relations were ceded after the deaths of ten Turkish citizens who were killed on the Gaza-bound protest ship, while attempting to prevent Israeli commandos from boarding the vessel.

Also under the agreement, Turkish aid will reach Gaza via Israel’s Ashdod port and Turkey will also help build a hospital, power plant and desalination plant in Gaza. Meanwhile, Turkey has agreed that terror groups such as Hamas will not be able to use the country as a base. Full diplomatic relations and bilateral cooperation will be resumed and the two countries will also work together on developing the region’s natural gas reserves.

Yesterday’s agreement is the result of years of talks. It is thought that arrangements had been already made in 2014 over a compensation deal. Talks on the other aspects of a deal resumed last year, including a meeting in London in April.

On Tuesday, in another sign of diplomatic normalisation, Erdogan publicly greeted and shook hands with Shani Cooper, the political counsellor at Israel’s embassy in Ankara, at an official reception marking Victory Day.